‘So have you thought of a name?’ Judith is all starry eyed excited as she comes to sit next to me on the couch. With my feet prepped up on a stuffy foot stool, gift from Julian, I turn my body to face her.
‘Something tells me you have been playing with the alphabet.’
Judith shrugs, ‘I have been around when most of my little cousins were born. The name can be a crisis if you haven’t stuck to one early enough.’
‘I still can’t believe your aunts and uncles are still young enough to keep breeding.’
Judith gapes at me, ‘you should hear yourself nowadays… you speak strangely.’
I try to glare at her but I know what she is talking about. Up to now I still can’t figure out how I finished my dissertation with clear reasonable English.
‘So what did you come up with?’
‘It’s a long list but Celine crossed most of them out because they were too touchy—whatever that means.’
I glance at the direction of the kitchen where Julian, Celine and Lawyer are probably discussing things that they don’t want me to hear or Judith. I had long given up eavesdropping on them. I mean what could possibly go worse than the situation that I am in right now? My brain companions nod in agreement. From what I have gathered so far besides what Celine told me earlier, things seem to be topsy-turvy that other side of the world lately.
‘Let’s hear them then.’ I say bringing my mind back to the present. How I wish I was in Judith’s position. Totally oblivious to what is happening around here. If she had any idea at all she would run for the hills. The story was simply that Taylor had to go on a trip outside the country and as the dotting husband that he is, he ordered me to stay with Lawyer until he gets back. This is the third time Judith is visiting me so she hasn’t figured out that I have been living here for the past four months already.
‘Are you sure you and Taylor haven’t discussed names yet?’ Judith raises both her eyebrows.
I take a deep breath to calm the raging feeling that rises at the mention of the normal things I could be doing with Taylor. I had long given up on the prospect that he would just suddenly return.
There were moments that his absence and the betrayal that came along with his decision heavily settled on me. I had no one left in my life. My father is dead, my family left and never tried to contact me. I can’t even think about my relatives lest I bring this life upon them. If they were not a part of it already.
I tried to contact my mother once and she was untraceable. It seems they all went into hiding. There are times I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never met those guys in college. But just a passing thought because I never think of Stephan. With the way I felt when I met Taylor I could easily say that Stephan and I were a mere prelude.
Taylor was the main story. The one that completely captured my audience and turned everything upside down. The confusion, the mixed feelings. I am mad at him, I blame him—I love him—I miss him. I want him to come back. I don’t.
‘No, he has this family loyalty complex thing about him. I don’t want my child named after some great aunt.’
Judith scoffs, ‘seriously?’
‘Besides, something will come up I am sure. Just fire up one of the names you have figured out.’
‘Okay’ Judith raises a palm, ‘I have April and Darien.’
‘Darien is a male name!’
‘Scans could be wrong—I have seen it a lot of times.’
I roll my eyes, ‘right.’
Judith is about to say something hen her phone rings. She scowls as she lifts it to read the name of the caller. ‘Malcom?’
I raise an eyebrow, she shrugs.
‘I told you I was going to visit Heather today surely you can handle some things without Me.’ she gives me a can-you-believe-it look, ‘why what’s wrong?’ a sigh, ‘Malcom I am not having this conversation with you I told you to drop it.’ A laugh then her eyes widen in alarm, ‘you are what?’
I sit up straight as she lowers her phone and seem frozen for a moment. ‘What’s wrong Judith?’
She raises a hand to silence me and seem to be listening for something. Exactly five heartbeats pass and she sags back against the couch in relief.
‘Can you believe the guy?’
‘What happened?’
Judith shakes her head, ‘Malcom has been obsessed by the theory that Lawyer is dangerous since he saw him that day at the Church. We are leaders of the youth group we shouldn’t go around slandering people.’
I just nod, it seems Malcom had better instincts than my best friend.
‘Now he’s been acting strange.’
I sigh, ‘Judith darling, he’s in love, so he’s being protective.’
Judith’s eyes widen, ‘don’t be ridiculous. We are best friends—we have been for years.’
‘It’s not his fault that you friend-zoned him and now he thinks there is competition.’
‘With Lawyer?’ even as she masks her face with shock I can still see a lingering something in her eyes. Something I saw in my own eyes the first days I met Taylor.
‘Men like to mark their territory.’
Judith laughs then she quickly sobers when a knock comes at the door.
‘I got it.’ Julian strides from the kitchen straight to the front door. Judith is watching the front door with wide eyes and I am wondering what is going on. Julian pulls the door open and steps back a little in surprise before collecting himself and going into full alert mode. Did I mention that these guys seem to almost transform when the time called for it?
‘Hey Judith you know any Malcom?’ Julian calls out without taking his eyes off the man standing at the front door.
Judith mutters something under her breath before she gets on her feet and start for the door. She pushes Julian out of the way and faces her friend. I can’t hear what they are saying as they exchange words back and forth between them. Julian inches away from them but continues to watch with his arms folded and an amused look on his face.
Malcom says something, looking directly at Julian whose mouth pulls into a smirk and he waggles his eyebrows at him. Oh no, this is really bad. My brain companions and I report to one another.
Then an interesting thing happens. Like everything else in my life that just suddenly occurs to surprise the living day lights out of me. Malcom pushes past Judith who stumbles a little before holding on to the door for support. Julian waves his hand at a livid Malcom and does a dramatic bow as the man enters the living room and stands confidently in the middle directly under the chandelier. Because my wild imagination pictures the thing falling on him. It’s a dangerous world after all.
‘They are criminals!’ he yells as if he is standing in the middle of a football field and he has thousand people to announce to.
Lawyer and Celine rush to the living room and halt to a stop at the scene before them. Judith gets over her shock and rushes to hold Malcom’s arm.
‘Just stop, let’s just go.’
Malcom yanks his arm form her hold, ‘no I am not going anywhere. And since you can’t stay away from them I have something to say.’ He looks at me, my heart skips at the disgust on his face, ‘stay away from Judith. She doesn’t belong to this group. You don’t have to pretend to be whoever you are. You can just stay at this side of your world and Judith can stay at hers.’
‘Stop it.’ Judith says sternly coming to stand in front of Malcom, ‘you need to leave now Malcom.’
Malcom doesn’t remove his eyes from me, ‘tell her Heather. Tell her the truth, for her safety sake.’
Judith scowls ‘Malcom!’
Julian quietly closes the door and sits in a chair that is close to it. Lawyer and Celine remain silent but do not take their eyes off Malcom whose hateful gaze is fixed on me.
‘Where is Taylor? Have you seen him for a while now?’ he is asking Judith.
‘I never visit that often and it’s none of your business. Let’s just go.’
Why is Malcom doing this? If he has really figured out the truth he should be smart enough to not come and cause a scene like this.
‘Not until Heather herself tells you why you shouldn’t even be here.’ Malcom raises his voice then turns to Lawyer, ‘or maybe she shouldn’t.’
Lawyer folds his arms across his chest, ‘Judith come over here.’
I am alarmed by the cool voice Lawyer has inhibited. I have seen these people in many scenarios. In conclusion, Malcom is screwed if he doesn’t shut his mouth up and get the hell out of here. But I am more shocked when Judith simply peels herself from Malcom’s side and walks to stand with Lawyer who easily slips his hand across her waist and pulls her to him.
Blood leaves my face the same time it leave’s Malcom’s. Oh crap! That’s what I said—says my wild mind.
‘Are you leaving or you are staying.’ Lawyer asks a shocked Malcom. It takes him a while to recover himself before he swallows and a strangled laugh escapes his mouth.
‘Judith?’
Judith closes her eyes and turns away from him, burying her face into Lawyer’s shoulder. Double crap. I feel the contents of my stomach coming back up my throat. What I feared the most has come upon me. What in the living hell made me think that Lawyer would take my good advice and leave my friend alone?
‘So you chose this? You are going to end up like her.’ He turns to me again with a cruel smile, ‘you can only see things on the outside you have no idea what a wretch she is now.’
Everyone has two sides. This is Malcom’s. I had no idea his personality is close to the range of Mr. Abiwu’s when it comes to cruel words. Julian stands from his chair and places a hand on his shoulder.
‘Mate—be careful how you address Heather.’
Malcom lets out a sardonic laugh, ‘oh right—she is the wife of that criminal, so are you a princess now? Judith you also want to be a princess because I can see you are not unaware of what they are… you were raised better than that.’
Judith raises her face to look at her friend. ‘Malcom just go.’
‘I am not leaving you here.’ He declares, ‘you can do better than this.’
‘Mate if a girl over looks you for another guy that means she thinks the guy is better than you,’ Julian flashes a small smile at him. Malcom pushes his hand away.
‘Get your hand off me.’
Julian raises his hand and returns to his chair.
‘So you are staying?’ Lawyer asks.
‘I am not leaving without Judith.’
I then turn to meet my friend’s eyes. She has to get him out of here.
‘Malcom you need to go.’ Judith tells him.
‘O ho—I am positive your father will be thrilled by your new boyfriend huh.’
‘Mal you are not five anymore okay? Leave my family out of this.’
Malcom turns to me, ‘soon your family will end up like hers. Vanished from the face of the earth.’
‘Okay that’s enough!’ Celine comes to stand in front of me and plants her fists on her hips, ‘listen here lover boy—you know nothing about Heather’s family just get your girlfriend and leave.’
‘She is not his girlfriend.’ Lawyer glares at her then turns to Malcom, ‘you can either leave now dude or you can rest upon the protection of the people who sent you.’
Oh no. I remove my feet from the stool and I am on my feet as fast as my huge body allows me.
‘Malcom please just go.’ I tell him, ‘you don’t know what you are talking about.’
A smirk comes on his mouth, ‘oh I know exactly what I am talking about. And I am not going to turn my back and return home and pretend like it was every other Sunday not when you dragged Judith into all this.’
Julian crosses his leg on top of the other and catches Lawyer’s eye daringly. I start to move towards Malcom but Celine holds me. The woman is strong.
‘Let’s talk Mal.’ Lawyer flashes a smile.
‘No I want Judith.’
I meet Judith’s eyes silently pleading with her.
‘Okay I will go,’ she announces and rushes to stand with Malcom, ‘he is leaving.’
‘I’m afraid that card is already past.’ Julian sits back in his chair, ‘now I am too curious to know the source of your accusations to just let you go Mal.’
Lawyer chuckles, ‘me too—that is just to the point to have found on Google.’
‘And now we want to know how many people you told that you are going to rescue your girlfriend from the criminals.’
‘It’s about time you loons get leaked out.’ Celine mumbles.
‘Shut up Celine this is men’s business.’ Lawyer says, ‘Judith babe come here.’
And Judith obeys again. She walks straight into his open arms and obliges immediately when Lawyer assaults her lips with a rough long kiss that has a shocked silence descend into the room. Lawyer breaks away from her and looks at Malcom with an evil smile.
‘I always wanted to get my point across the little twit, it’s about time.’ He lets go of Judith and strides towards Malcom the same time Julian leaves his chair and approaches the shocked man. Malcom does not even mind the two men who are crowding him. His eyes are fixed on Judith with the most hurtful look I have ever witnessed in a human’s eyes. Well maybe except mine.
‘No stop it.’ I yell as Julian and Lawyer grab either one of Malcom’s arms and drags him out of the living room towards Lawyer’s home office. Celine’s death grip remains on me.
I know nothing good is going to come out of that office. Nothing ever comes out of offices except chaos. I know from experience.
‘Relax they are just going to question him.’ Celine relaxes her hold of me and guides me back to the couch, ‘you need to sit and breathe in.’
‘Easy for you to say.’ I mumble as I sit back on the couch. Judith comes to sit where she had been sitting before and I can barely look at her.
Celine takes the couch facing both of us.
‘This is just screwed up isn’t it?’
‘You don’t say.’ Judith agrees with her.
My brain companions and I have just frozen in place for a moment. I have been expecting a lot of crazy for many a times since crazy have been unfolding in my life. And I am saying again that I did not expect this level of crazy at all.
I mean what are the odds that Judith is way ahead of me and knows everything and has been playing Dr Jekyll and Hyde all along? Close to none. I once again have been illusive to believe that Judith would never be a part of this. But that public hot kiss spoke volumes. Volumes as in—I don’t know that girl at all.